The foregoing remarks in this chapter have been made on the supposition that the green on which the player finds herself is level, and that the ball may be aimed straight at the hole. Sadly enough all greens are not laid out in this convenient way, and one finds oneself confronted by hills and dales, hummocks and arenas, that are none the less terrifying on account of their being miniatures. It is not possible for one person to give another any satisfactory instruction how to surmount these difficulties. Each player must meet the problem as it presents itself to her and solve it to the best of her ability. Her natural instinct and the judgment gained by experience are her best guides, and any advice given by another person must be entirely inadequate as it is impossible to cover a fraction of the situations that may arise. In general it may be said that it is better to allow too much, both as to length and direction, than too little, but beyond that any remarks are apt to be madequate to cover the many situations that may arise.

It might seem that a chapter on putting would not be complete without some comment on playing stymies. As I have said before, it is my purpose to take up the various factors in the game of golf as they present themselves to the beginner. The playing of stymies is a difficult undertaking and should not be attempted until one has mastered the more usual strokes of the game. We may, therefore, well leave stymies alone, and be content for the present with getting the ball into the hole when its course is unobstructed.